Never Too Late
by Unawokendream
Summary: Peyton comes back five years after the night when Brooke saw Lucas, her boyfriend and Peyton, her best friend in bed together. Enjoy!


This is just a one shot fic for the first time on OTH for me too…I wrote this in prediction for February 15th's WB episode. I'm not even sure if this is what really happened. I guess this might have spoilers etc. It's quite sad. Anyways, I don't own OTH and I have no connection whatsoever to them either. Just this story. Enjoy! And yea…I love this song…even though its old. D

**Never Too Late**

_Welcome to the planet_

_Welcome to existence_

Peyton Sawyer looked across the endless yellow field in the city of Salem. _It hasn't changed much. _The wind caressed her hair away from her face. When she closed her eyes, it felt like Ellie was gently coming back her hair with a brush just like the day of the storm. Life had changed so much since that storm. The CD went on to be a hit but the joy was lifeless without Ellie there to listen to it with her. Peyton remembered how miserable she was for that week and how she got drunk and ended up having sex with Lucas at the party. And how Brooke found them together.

_Everyone's here_

_Everyone's here_

_Everybody's watching you now_

_Everybody waits for you now_

_What happens next?_

_What happens next?_

And this is why 5 years after graduating from Tree Hill High, she's still miserable because not only was she a total back-stabbing bitch to her best friend, but she also took advantage of Lucas' drunkenness and pity and upon her. What was ten times worse than that was that she actually thought that Lucas might have still wanted her. She knew the answer when Lucas told her he needed some time to think it over.

_I dare you to move_

_I dare you to move_

_I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor_

_I dare you to move_

_I dare you to move_

_Like today never happened_

_Today never happened before_

Peyton had packed her bags and never looked back at Tree Hill once.

_Welcome to the fallout_

_Welcome to resistance_

Life had taken her on a strange path then. After she struggled for a couple of days in New York City as a petty magazine artist, she got a call from a rising youth magazine called _Phunk _and ever since, wrote the advice column and drew some of the cover pages. She dated a couple times but it was never as serious. In fact, one of her dates was a guy she met at an annual conference and he asked her why she never seemed satisfied after sex. After a few more dates, he decided to break the relationship off. Peyton didn't care. He was a prick anyways who bored her to death with sports but his question still lingered on the back of her head.

_The tension is here_

_The tension is here_

_Between who you are and who you could be_

_Between how it is and how it should be_

It wasn't until some desperate teen asked for advice about her kissing her best friend's boyfriend did she decide to follow her own advice. _Go back and fix it, it's better to lose something that you aren't sure will last than to lose someone you know will always be there for you. _And now she's here in the field where her biological mother's ashes were set free in, so that she may take comfort and strength from the surroundings her mother had once said made her feel alive. "I think I'm ready now…" she whispered to no one in particular.

_I dare you to move_

_I dare you to move_

_I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor_

_I dare you to move_

_I dare you to move_

_Like today never happened_

_Today never happened_

Two hours later, she was back in Tree Hill ready to face the world. She had kept in contact with Nathan and Haley whom after graduating Stanford College were successfully leading a happy life with their 5 year old son, Ryan. Nathan was a rising basketball star and Haley still liked to tutor sometimes along with looking after Karen's Café. Sometimes Peyton felt jealous that everything went so perfect for them even though they had a kid. It seemed like having Ryan was what made their life so perfect.

Keith and Karen also got married and had a set of girl twins named Dana and Daphne. When Keith visited New York City for a meeting with some GM dealers to expand his Auto Shop he told her that they had Karen's eyes and his hair but they are just as obsessed with basketball as little Ryan is. He even told her how Deborah died trying to save him from getting shot by Dan and about how Dan ended up in jail and then committing suicide six months later. Thankfully Haley was there for Nathan so the pain was easier to bear.

They all had also told her how Lucas was the top sports column writer for the _Globe_ and Peyton didn't need to ask to see what Brooke's doing for her clothes designs were all what young women wore nowadays. Lucas lives in Charleston but comes to visit Tree Hill every weekend while Brooke just travels from places to places and hasn't bothered to come to Tree Hill since graduation. Peyton had sent them both a letter asking them to meet at Karen's Café. She didn't need their replies to know that they'll both come for one reason or the other. Even though Nathan and Keith both asked her to visit them, she decided against it for she wasn't planning on staying to watch, only to make sure that Brooke and Lucas actually take time to talk to each other…and for other purposes. She parked her car across the street around half a block away from the café. She lit a cigarette and waited, exhaling the smoke which calmed her nerves.

_Maybe redemption has stories to tell_

_Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell_

_Where can you run to escape from yourself?_

Finally, a navy Honda Accent parked near the café. Peyton held her breath as she watched the front side door open. A spiky haired blond appeared wearing dark shades. He took off his shades, his piercing blue eyes glancing from side to side slightly wary of the world. His height and slight build made him look like a model but the brooding look he had gave way to the fact that he wasn't. He sighed and leaned on his car shoving both his hands in his pockets not caring that his tie was loose or that his jacket was becoming wrinkled being every inch the morose teen he used to be.

_Where you gonna go?_

_Where you gonna go?_

_Salvation is here_

Peyton didn't realize the tears that began to flow. Her heart ached and her voice choked while whispering his name. This was her Lucas Scott. Cautious yet caring, brooding but bright and lonesome yet lovable. (A/N I know weird sappy line there) She fought the urge to get out of her car and for a moment it seemed that he saw her through the tinted glass, but right then another car parked near front of the café. A silver Volkswagen beetle parked near the café making Peyton laugh for she knew exactly who it would be. Her hair as brown as a brownie popped out as she met the eyes of the guy she once loved with her whole heart.

_Salvation is here_

They both stared at one another for a minute or two and finally, Lucas chose to walk over and invite her into the café. Peyton knew she should have left at that moment but could it be that some part of her heart was still yearning for that boy who she betrayed her best friend not once but twice for? She stood outside the car waiting for the two to come out. Seconds passed into minutes as it did to hours when eventually, the doors to the café opened and both Brooke and Lucas were arm in arm laughing like old friends.

Peyton lied low as she watched the couple anxiously.

_I dare you to move _

Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand.

_I dare you to move _

She bit her hand to keep herself from crying out loud.

_I dare you to lift yourself _

_Lift yourself up off the floor _

_I dare you to move _

After a few minutes of weeping for all that she had lost because of the chance she threw away, she wiped her tears and forced a smile.

_I dare you to move _

_Like today never happened _

_I came here to undo what I did wrong. Nothing else…he doesn't love you anymore Peyton, go home Peyton. Go and never come back. It's their life now. Go._ And she did.

_Today never happened _

_Today never happened _

Later while she was driving, her cell rang and she flipped it to see the message. It said: _Thanks Peyton…Love Lucas_ She had done her deed. With a lighter heart she drove towards the setting sun.

_Today never happened before_

Thing is I like Lucas and Peyton together, but I like Brooke with him too and I also like Jake with Peyton too. It's weird and I can't make up my mind. So, you can review if you want just to share some of your thoughts on this story. I appreciate constructive criticism anytime…D TC and HAV FUN everyone!


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